I have noticed the same thing while driving around Los Angeles. Very often a driver will go buzzing by me at 95 MPH when I'm going 75, as if to show me who's faster. I don't know what it is, but it definitely does happen. The driver sees the bike go past and they suddenly start driving really fast as a result. I usually hold back the throttle and let them drive however they want to, and not get into the challenge with them. It's tempting to go for it, that's for sure.

I am in the moto-sin confessional booth, aren't I? I am not especially proud of this, in fact, it was a loss of control on my part that brought the worst of this little event. However I did not start it! (Karma points for that?)

Near Seattle, most motorists know of the infamous 405; I was in the HOV lane which merged into into another lane just at the merge into 405. I saw the little SUV in my rear mirror, and there was plenty of room. Alas, after I attempted to merge, the little sucker (big sucker compared to my R1150) closed the gap, no doubt with mal intent. He was about 3 ft. behind and to the right of my taillight. I honked, waved him off, but he pressed.

So, I waved him around me, and tried to set up to kick his door in at a blazing 35 mph. He moves towards me, and actually bumps me, so I am unable to kick. I did stay upright, however.

How pissed do you have to be to play bumpercars with a ****head? Well, I followed close behind him until I came to an exit and called the Po-Po (found out he called too- damn crazy motorcyclist harassing him). No witnesses called in, my word vs. his word.

My learning: don't do that again. Live to ride another day. This pretty much ruined my zest for riding for awhile (Northwest winter came anyway). But, hopefully the learning will stick with me. You really can't win in a car-motorbike joust. So, let go, breathe, save the revenge for when you can get away with it! OK, maybe I have more learning ahead of me...

Try riding fast on a scooter- the levels of irritation people achieve when passed by a "moped' is unlike anything I've seen while riding a "real" motorcycle.

I blame too much TV advertising: they sell cars on the box showing them sweeping along open, empty highways,and the reality is over crowding on the streets and annoying two-wheelers achieving the open road ahead of the cages. Oh well.

Motorcyling has made me a better cage driver, though I know and observe many who have not been similarly influenced. Now when driving I no longer tail gate, avoid excessive speed, which minimizes reaction time, and, in general, am much more focused and anticipatory. To reinforce this behavior, I occasionally imagine that I'm riding the bike while actually driving the car and am disturbingly surprised at the carelessness and distractedness I'm lulled into exhibiting behind the illusion that an envelope of thin steel around me will somehow immunize me against an early demise. I once supposed, based on personal experience, that only a serious brush with the Reaper would dissuade one from believing they were immortal. Strangely, this seems with most to only temporarilly moderate their rush towards death. I find that most folks I know who've been in an "accident", rider or driver, return to their reckless ways in short order. How then can we expect those who've never had the experience to do otherwise? Perhaps this is "natural selection" at work, with those possessing the stupid gene incapable of learning from their experiences. Regrettable, they suck thousands of innocents along with them as they draft their way thru traffic to an early grave.

A. The don't look at their speedos so when they see a faster car they automaticaly think that speed is fine for them to do as well. If no cars are around them they're at a loss sometimes and you'll come across them going 60 on the freeway in the middle of the night. They'll speed up when you fly by them making them realize how slow they were going.

B. They know they're less likely to get a ticket when following someone else going fast. A lot of people don't like being the fast guy thats sticking out just asking for a ticket... but as soon as other people start going faster they will too (do you really think everyone would be willing go 80 on freeways with no peers also traveling ~80 ?

Endorsed by Longride - "Of course your points are unarguable. You are the smartest guy in the whole world ... What you really taught me is how little I really know about motorcycles and how much you know. Yes, you are the best and the smartest."

I try to avoid the interstates here in Denver because they seem to have engineered all the corners out of them(although they have left some really nice 160mph corners, unusable as such of course unless you're Charlton Heston in The Omega Man.) I have however noticed what I assume to be the same phenomenon translated to a different context when it comes to roundabouts (or traffic circles for those of you in Commerce City.) I've seen at least three times in the last six months or so a cager pull in behind me after I've passed them on the approach to a roundabout and accelerate to match my speed, only to then lock'em up instead of initiating the left required after the initial right into the roundabaut, two of them even sliding into the curb, tires a'smokin'. I would think that a car could always perform this relatively simple manuever with a far greater margin of safety than a bike, especially a bike with me riding it. Maybe it's time for tiered licensing for cagers based on the radius of the corner.

What I find annoying - Big crusers that start to split lanes only to give up half way, blocking my path!

Please big rediculious crusers, especaily you hardley's with the ape hangers... if you see a old EX500 behind you... let them split lanes first... they can get farther than you.

I have a 1966 saab 2-stroke... and I get a TON of people trying to race me in it, and it's not a fast car at all. But when I'm in my 300zx no one tries to race me... I guess people like to win or more likely the saab sounds fast to them.

Endorsed by Longride - "Of course your points are unarguable. You are the smartest guy in the whole world ... What you really taught me is how little I really know about motorcycles and how much you know. Yes, you are the best and the smartest."

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